Today's passenger, business and military aircraft are essentially flying computer farms, as computers are involved in almost every aspect of the aircraft and every phase of flight. From the communication and navigation systems to the in-flight entertainment systems, computers are necessary for safe and comfortable flights. Indeed, most aircraft are un-flyable without the aid of computers.
However, all of this computer equipment requires upkeep and maintenance. Access and expertise are both significant issues in providing this maintenance. For security reasons, when it is on the ground, physical access to the aircraft is limited. Obviously, when in-flight, physical access is even more limited. Those with access are not necessarily those with the expertise in performing this maintenance. Pilots are focused on maintaining safe flight operations, while flight attendants are focused on maintaining the safety and comfort of passenger. Moreover, security of computer systems remains a high priority because of the reliance place on the computers.
The present invention overcomes one or more of these problems.